OTHER VOICES

From bonuses to benefits, the VA needs an overhaul

By Dave FoxSpecial to the Star-Banner

Published: Sunday, July 13, 2014 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 11, 2014 at 6:48 p.m.

As a retired military officer with 20 percent service-connected disability, I was outraged to find that VA workers were rewarded with over $100 million in bonuses during one year when citizens are urged to donate $19 a month to the wonderful Wounded Warrior Project. How far would $100 million go toward helping our vets?

For the most part, many of the VA employees I’ve been involved with over the years have been proficient, caring and worthy employees. I recommend we hire veterans to help other veterans to the VA without the union involvement at all. That would help the veteran’s employment situation, and they would make wonderful additions to the VA.

It is disheartening to discover that scores of VA employees (on the government payroll) work on union business only. Get rid of public service unions. What was the VA created for in the first place?

I must admit that I’ve received satisfactory, and above, medical service over the years from the VA. What irks me is the fact that when I volunteered to “stay on” in the early 1970s and possibly make my service involvement a career, I was told that if I made it to retirement that I would have medical and dental for life.

To those not familiar with the pay and earnings of military personnel, you certainly don’t join or stay to become wealthy. Prior to President Ronald Reagan, junior enlisted members would have been eligible for welfare.

Yet, during the 1980s, my retirement dental benefits just went away without anyone knowing they had changed. Recently, I inquired about my vision benefits, which used to be a yearly exam plus one pair of glasses per year. Guess what? Now, it’s every three years.

All of this continues to happen while VA employees receive bonuses on the backs of the veterans who served their country to earn those benefits.

If the reading public doesn’t understand that government-run health care is a dangerous storm looming, then help will not be available when they need it the most.

Maybe our problem is that many millennials and others cannot or do not read and are satisfied receiving their news and information through social media outlets, including their smart phones and Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. Pull your heads out of your backsides before it’s too late.

Dave Fox was in B-52 operations for the first 10 years of his Air Force career and was also a weapons officer instructing both nuclear and conventional munitions, finishing his career as chief of a command post in The Netherlands. He lives in Ocala.

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